El-Rufai Fights Back, Sacks Nurses, Lecturers For Embarking On Strike

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed all nurses below GL 14 for embarking on an ‘unlawful strike’ called by the Nigeria Labour Congress.

El-Rufai, in a statement signed by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Muyiwa Adekeye, directed the Ministry of Health to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed.

This is coming shortly after the NLC led a protest to the government house on Tuesday, being the second day of the Union strike.

El-Rufai in the statement directed all MDAs to submit daily copies of attendance register to the Head of Service for punishment to be meted on absentees.

It stated, “The Ministry of Health will dismiss all nurses below GL 14 for going on an unlawful strike. Salaries that could have gone to them are to be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who are at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty.

“The Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed.

It stated that the State Government acknowledges doctors and some other categories of health workers that are trying to run public health facilities, but regrets that some nurses have joined the unlawful strike and engaged in sabotage of some of our health facilities.

The statement noted that nurses were implicated in the forceful discharge of patients in many health facilities.

“Reports from Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital disclosed that some identified nurses disconnected the oxygen supply of a two-day old baby in an incubator on Monday, 17th May 2021.

“The names of the three nurses from the Special Baby Care Unit who were involved in this despicable act have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for attempted murder or murder in the event we lose the baby,” it reads.

The statement also added that any academic staff of KASU (Kaduna State University) that does not report for work will be dismissed.

“The authorities of KASU are to submit a copy of the attendance register for all categories of staff daily to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education.

“All MDAs are also to submit daily copies of attendance register to the Head of Service.”

Recall, NLC had on Monday commenced its five-day strike action, which it insisted that there was no going back on.

The strike action, which followed the condemnation of the decision of the State Government to lay-off thousands of civil servants, by the Congress, had paralysed major activities in the state as schools, water, banks, hospitals, electricity, rail and air services were shut down.